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Illinois man pleads guilty to shooting West Fargo woman in face

FARGO—An Illinois man pleaded guilty Friday morning, April 21, to a charge of attempted murder for shooting a West Fargo woman in the face.

In return for the plea, prosecutors will drop a charge of reckless endangerment pending against David White Jr., 26, according to White's attorney, Monty Mertz, who appeared with his client in Cass County District Court.

White will be sentenced after a presentence investigation is conducted, according to Mertz, who said prosecutors have filed papers to have White declared a special dangerous offender.

He said the prosecution plans to ask for a sentence of 15 years in prison and five years supervised probation. He said he will be free to argue for something less.

White admitted in court Friday to a factual outline of the shooting as presented by prosecutor Cherie Clark.

Clark said authorities responded March 19 to several 911 calls to an apartment in the 600 block of 33rd Avenue west in West Fargo. She said two of the calls were from White, who told authorities someone had opened fire on his girlfriend.

Clark added that based on statements from a witness and the victim, White shot the victim twice, once in the hand and once in the face, before the victim was able to flee through a window of the apartment.

Court documents state the woman was shot in the face while she was begging for her life.

The victim is now in the hospital with her jaw wired shut and she is suffering from pain, according to Clark, who told Judge Norman Anderson the victim's parents were in the courtroom Friday but didn't wish to make statements.

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